Minneapolis Park Watch

The future of the 201 Building lies with the boys scouts... hopefully the 2 part deal will go through as covered by the Star Tribune

Scouts have big plans for old fort's Drill Hall The Northern Star Base Camp would use a 1907 hall at Fort Snelling to create an urban scout center unlike any other. By JAMES ELI SHIFFER, Star Tribune

Last update: September 25, 2008 - 5:51 AM

The regional Boy Scout council's plan to create an "urban base camp" at Fort Snelling promises to bring life to an empty century-old building that has cost taxpayers at least $3 million.

The current owner of Fort Snelling's old Drill Hall, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, acquired it in 2000, but its plans for a skateboard park and other uses never materialized, and the cavalry building has sat vacant and unused.

Posted by Liz Wielinski on Sat, 09/27/2008 - 11:47pm. | Permalink | 1 comment | Read more

A posting to the Minneapolis Issues Forum, by Robert Johnson:

Posted by webmaster on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 2:05pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

From the Star Tribune Commentary, published September 16:

The lease for bridge work was signed at the staff level and may be invalid.

By ARLENE FRIED

Posted by webmaster on Sat, 09/20/2008 - 8:06pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

Click here to see the mega-ton crane called Bohemian Blue which was temporarily located on the northern portion of Bohemian Flats off of West River Road Parkway and just south of the 10th Avenue Bridge.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 11:06pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more | 1 attachment

The following are selected on-line comments made by readers in response to the Star Tribune's Sept 12, 2008 on-line article by Mike Kaszuba.

FLATIRON MANSON MIGHT HAVE A GOOD LAWSUIT HERE AGAINST THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK BOARD

Posted by bikemiles

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 12:30am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

From the Minneapolis Issues Forum (list):

Hope you saw Mike Kaszuba's story, Bridge work at park has its price http://www.startribune.com/local/28335809.html.

Posted by webmaster on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 10:08pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more | 1 attachment

In 2005, Park Board staff proposed adding mini-golf to Lupient Water Park. The initial budget was $100,000 in construction cost and $80,000 in revenues a year - so a project that would be a money maker in two years! It hasn't worked out that way.

Posted by webmaster on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 1:35pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

This provocative article by Mike Kaszuba, which appeared in the September 13 issue of the Star Tribune, is just the tip of the ice berg. There is much more to this story. I hope that the public will follow up with asking the Park Board publicly the many questions that the article raises and that the public deserves to hear answers to.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Sat, 09/13/2008 - 10:09pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following articles by reporter Cristof Traudes appeared in the September 8, 2008, edition of the Southwest Journal

Park Update

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT REPLACES PARK POLICE AS SCHOOL LIAISONS

As of Sept. 2, Park Police officers no longer serve as Minneapolis schools’ police liaisons.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 9:38pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

On Saturday August 30th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm the Stone Arch Bridge and West River Parkway will be closed for a Republican National Convention Media Event. Adult beverages will be available under the $10,000 tent.

See attached permit for more information.

Posted by Liz Wielinski on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 8:19pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | 1 attachment

By Arlene Fried co-founder of Park Watch

Posted by Arlene Fried on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 1:06am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

Here's another article about the problems that resulted from private companies doing business on Park Board property. This article by Cristof Traudes appeared in the August 25, 2008, issue of the Southwest Journal.

BUSINESSES ON PARK PROPERTY UNDER SCRUTINY FOR TAXES

In May, it appeared Twin City Catering had fallen upon difficult financial times.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 08/26/2008 - 12:28am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following article by reporter Cristof Traudes appeared in the August 11, 2008, edition of the Southwest Journal and also the August 4, 2008, edition of the Downtown Journal:

ARE CORPORATIONS COMING TO MINNEAPOLIS PARKS?

By Cristof Traudes

The Park Board has started a nine-month process to create a policy on corporate relationships

Posted by Arlene Fried on Thu, 08/21/2008 - 12:53am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following articles by reporter Cristof Traudes appeared in the August 11, 2008, edition of the Southwest Journal:

WITH DONATION CHANGE, LOWE'S SIGNS NO LONGER REQUIRED

A $90,000 donation from Lowe’s — an unsolicited offer that ignited a flurry of comments and criticism for proposed signage it would bring into parks — is changing shape.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 8:07pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following article by Shawne FitzGerald, a Powderhorn resident, first appeared August 7, 2008, on the 'Minneapolis Issues Forum'

PARK BOARD DIVERTED FUNDS

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 6:50pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

By Arlene Fried Co-founder of Park Watch

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 8:48pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The litany of restrictions at Minneapolis beaches boils down to one big one: No fun. By STEVE YOUNG

Last update: July 26, 2008 - 5:15 PM As originally published in the Star Tribune

Where do many Minneapolis residents go to have fun on a hot summer day? Not to Minneapolis beaches, that's for sure -- because fun is simply not allowed. Better to go to a family member's or friend's cabin or to a suburban beach, where fun is not yet outlawed. ¶ Ten years ago, I moved with my young children to Minneapolis from Chicago. That summer, and every summer since, when I go to one of the city beaches I am amazed and annoyed with the city officials who turned our natural gift, our city lakes, into large, boring wading pools --

Posted by Liz Wielinski on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 6:17pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

A Park Board miscue

As originally published on Wed. July 23, 2008 as a letter to the editor in the Star Tribune

The installation of the Red Bull Illume photography exhibit on the Stone Arch Bridge was the Minneapolis Park Board's bonehead play of the year ("Park Board erred in closing bike route," July 20).

Posted by Liz Wielinski on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 6:14pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

Closing a major artery into the city for a 10-day art exhibit created danger for cyclists, runners, pedestrians and those commuting by Segway scooter. By SKY CHRISTINA SATTERSTROM

Last update: July 20, 2008 - 4:26 PM AS originally published at the Star Tribune

Minneapolis was recently recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as having the second-highest percentage of people who bike to work in the nation, ranking behind only Portland, Ore. A staggering 4,600 Minneapolitans bike to work on a regular basis (this number does not include students, who are not accounted for in census data). Minneapolis supports its bikers via special funding set aside to create and maintain the 34 miles of Minneapolis streets that have dedicated bike lanes, in addition to 56 miles of off-street bicycle trails.

Posted by Liz Wielinski on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 6:10pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

THE FOLLOWING ITEM APPEARED ON THE FOXNEWS WEBSITE:

EXPECTING 'BIG TENT' REPUBLICANS, MINNEAPOLIS SEES DOLLAR SIGNS by FoxNews.com Tuesday, July 8, 2008

When Republicans said they were a “big tent” party, city officials in Minneapolis apparently took them literally.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Wed, 07/16/2008 - 11:43pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more